Diabetes mellitus is one of the most prevalent metabolic disorders worldwide. Type 1 diabetes, most common among children and adolescents, accounts for approximately 10% of all diabetes cases. Type 2 diabetes afflicts over 7% of the adult population.
Type 1 diabetes is well recognized as an absolute insulin deficiency condition due to massive autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by several metabolic defects including beta cell dysfunction and reduction and peripheral insulin resistance.
While there are a number of available agents, which ameliorate diabetes, to date there is no cure for the disease.